Pulwama gunfight ends; two soldiers, Hizb militant killed

Quoting a senior police officer, news agency GNS reported that a joint team of army's 50 RR, 10 PARA, SOG and CRPF launched a cordon-and-search operation around 3 am in Ratnipora area following specific inputs about the presence of two to four militants.

Two army soldiers, including a para commando, and a militant were killed and another soldier wounded in a fierce gunfight in Ratnipora area of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Tuesday.

Quoting a senior police officer, news agency GNS reported that a joint team of army's 50 RR, 10 PARA, SOG and CRPF launched a cordon-and-search operation around 3 am in Ratnipora area following specific inputs about the presence of two to four militants.

“During the initial exchange of gunfight, three soldiers suffered injuries and were immediately evacuated to army's 92 base hospital, Badamibagh Srinagar where two of them succumbed,” the officer said.

He identified the slain soldiers as Sepoy Baljeet Singh and Naik Saneed of 10 PARA.The injured has been identified as Hawaldar Chander Pal.

A top police official told Greater Kashmir that one militant of Hizb ul Mujahideen outfit was killed in the gunfight. He identified the slain as Hilal Ahmad of Begumbagh Pulwama.

Witnesses said that intense clashes had erupted near the site of the gunfight.